Click.

The camera clicked and a burst of light filled the ballroom. No matter how much I warned them, the sudden brightness surprised the kids. A smile spread across my face. It worked. The instant camera, stored inside a wardrobe for over fourteen years came to life with a mechanical buzz and spat out a black picture.

“Did it work?” Firana couldn’t contain her excitement.

When I mentioned the ‘green artifact’ was a tool from my homeland, Firana had instantly shown explosive excitement. The girl was too pure. I hadn’t clarified what the camera’s purpose was and yet she buzzed with excitement.

I checked the film.

Ten, twenty seconds passed, and then, slowly, the image began to appear.

“Can we move now?” Ilya asked through her gritted teeth.

“Come and check this out.” I replied, holding a chuckle.

Little did they know the picture was already taken.

The kids huddled around me.

“Something’s appearing on the paper! Another illusion?” Firana asked.

I was glad the first assumption about the nature of the photograph being an illusion trick rather than some backwards cliché about the camera stealing their souls. As the picture became clearer, the kids couldn’t hold their surprise.

“It’s us! Like a painting!” Ilya gasped.

“Dang… I look ugly.” Firana sighed.

“You look normal to me.” Zaon peeked over the girl’s shoulder.

Firana glared at the boy. If only looks could kill.

“Do you want me to bury your body in the backyard or something?”

“N-no?”

I carefully examined the photograph. Despite Firana’s complaints, the four kids looked great. Zaon stole the spotlight, but being an elf, his features were naturally well defined and elegant, so it didn’t really count.

“Whatever this is, I don’t want to pose near Zaon ever again.” Ilya sighed.

“You look great, Ilya.” Wolf said, his voice serious as usual. “Unlike Zaon, who looks like he is a second away from collapsing under the weight of his sword, you look like a true warchief.”

Ilya couldn’t decide if Wolf was teasing her or not. Orcs had their own set of beauty standards, but Ilya ignored the comment. I couldn’t help but smile at her confused look, it was priceless.

“Can’t we do it again, just to be sure?” Firana asked.

I shook my head.

“The camera has a limited amount of uses, so we should use it wisely. Now go see if Miss Elincia needs help with the kids, I’ll be there in a moment.”

Before leaving, the kids replaced their training swords with real ones. Elincia had been adamant about arming everyone as long as the possibility of a Monster Surge lasted. Even Ash had gotten his own hunting knife. Luckily, no monster had appeared near Farcrest other than a rogue Black Wolf. There was no trace of Ice Wraiths, area spells, or any other undead creature.

The only thing that seemed to pop up at every turn was Byrne’s name. I examined the monogram on the old suitcase. S.B. Samuel Byrne. There were several notebooks, letters, and small engraving tools. No sign of guns, rounds or anything magical. Other than the camera, there were only mundane items.

I dragged the suitcase to the table and organized the papers. This was going to take a while, so I made myself comfortable in one of the old chairs.

I opened a notebook and found a few schematics with messy scrawlings and rough sketches. It wasn’t hard to recognize most of the designs. Waterwheels, windmills, gears, pulleys, cranes, and aqueducts. There were certain designs that required prior knowledge from my world to be understood such as a whole section with airplane wings, a lathe, and the cross section of a simple steam engine.

What disappointed me the most was the lack of magical elements to the designs.

I was about to open the letters when the creak of the hinges caught my attention. On the doorway there was Elincia dressed in her usual peasant dress. Now with the cold, she had added a light brown mantle to the attire. As much as I missed seeing her shoulders, she looked great. The bow on her back and the knife on her boot only added a layer of fierceness to the picture.

If I had to describe her with a single word, it would be ‘badass’.

“Have you been doing magic?” Elincia asked, hands on her hips.

I knew I was in trouble.

“Don’t move.” I said, grabbing the camera and snapping a picture.

The flash startled Elincia.

The camera spat out the photograph and I signaled her to approach. A moment later, the image appeared. Despite Elincia’s expression of disgust, I fell in love with the picture. This one was going directly to my treasure chest.

“I don’t know what that apparatus is, but you could’ve told me to strike a pose or something. Now I’m eternally trapped inside that small painting with a huffy expression.” Elincia complained.

“It’s called ‘camera’ and I think you look cute.” I replied.

Elincia glanced at the photo one more time before letting out a long sigh.

“Just tell me you are being careful with your magic.” Elincia said, sitting on my lap and grabbing my face with both hands.

“My [Minor Illusion] skill isn’t corrupted. I didn’t feel anything strange using it.” I replied with a reassuring voice. Whatever the Corruption was, it only affected a section of my character sheet.

“It’s good to hear you have developed a primitive sense of self-preservation.” Elincia grinned.

As much as I wanted to turn this lecture into a kissing session, Byrne’s belongings called for me. Elincia made herself comfortable on my lap, and glared at the mess I had made of the ballroom. The old clothing was still a mess on the floor, and the sea of papers didn’t help my case.

“I don’t remember putting these things away.” Elincia said.

As expected, Byrne had last appeared at the orphanage when Elincia wasn’t in charge. Otherwise she would remember putting these things away. Considering the general state of the manor, an elegant suitcase with a monogram would totally stand out.

“These are the belongings of Samuel Byrne; I believe you met him at some point.” I said, connecting the dots for Elincia.

Elincia seemed to recognize the name.

“The old Scholar addicted to Moss Tea? I remember him, good friends with Mr. Lowell, although I never assisted in any of his classes.” Elincia said. Suddenly her blissful expression turned into embarrassment. “To be honest, I used to cut classes with Risha a lot. Like, every day.”

I shook my head. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Elincia had gone from problem student to governess.

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“Do you remember anything else about Byrne? The first time you see him maybe?” I asked.

Elincia mindlessly stroked my hair for a moment.

“I might have been seven the first time I saw him, but I think Mr. Lowell knew him from before because they were already friends back then. He used to live here in the manor and used to travel to the Farlands with Mr. Lowell a lot.” Elincia said. “Oh, Mr. Byrne was the one who discovered the caves that led into the hidden valley. Shortly after, they both had a big fight and Mr. Byrne left the orphanage.”

“Do you remember when that was?” I asked.

“If I had to say… about five years before Mr. Lowell’s death but it might be six or four.” Elincia said.

The timeline was taking shape, although there were still black spots. Mr. Byrne arrived at Farcrest at least eighteen years ago. Stayed at the orphanage for four years and probably met Dassyra on one of his trips into the Farlands. Fourteen years ago, Dassyra got pregnant, but Byrne never got to know. Around the same time, he had a fight with Mr. Lowell and left the manor.

I had to factor Dassyra’s side of the story too.

My hypothesis was simple. Byrne left the orc’s settlement, picked a fight with Mr. Lowell, and disappeared for good. The fact Dassyra told me about Byrne’s liking for traveling between the orc’s settlement and Farcrest made me think the fight with Lowell occurred later in the story.

Was that fight the trigger of Byrne’s disappearance?

“Why so interested in Mr. Byrne? Are you a fan of his work or something?” Elincia asked.

I lowered my voice in case there were orphans behind the door.

“Byrne is Wolf’s father.” I said.

Fourteen years ago was the last time someone saw him here. However, I saw him five years ago on Earth. There was still a gap of a decade of unaccounted time in between.

“Does Wolf know anything about this?” Elincia whispered.

“I don’t think so… I’ll talk to him.” I replied, blaming myself for not asking Dassyra more questions. “In any case, you should have a conversation with him too. I think he has something to tell you.” I added, remembering Wolf’s intention of returning to the Farlands.

Elincia raised an eyebrow. “Something that he already told you?”

“Maybe, I won't divulge my student’s secrets.”

She didn’t seem particularly happy with my words because she softly headbutted me.

“Does he want to return to the Farlands with the orcs?” Elincia asked after a moment.

“He’s strong. Orc levels of strong.” I shrugged my shoulders.

Elincia nodded.

“This will be hard with the Marquis breathing down our necks. They will think we are hiding the kids in the forest, and believe me, we are not the first ones who think about that. It happens every year.” Elincia sighed.

Silence fell upon the ballroom; nothing spoiled my mood more than the mention of the Marquis. However, that wasn’t the only thing that annoyed me. There was a part of Byrne’s story I had been avoiding telling Elincia.

“There’s another thing about Byrne…” I said, minding each one of my words. “I know him. I saw him just five years ago, in my home city. I was surveying one of his properties when the portal incident that brought me here happened.”

The gears inside Elincia’s mind turned slowly.

“So… Mr. Byrne found the way back.” Elincia spoke slowly as her eyes wandered over the table. “And you are researching his belongings in hopes of finding it too. Aren't you?”

I looked at the table and understood that the documents could give that impression. I opened my mouth to deny it. Even if the answer to interdimensional travel was within its documents, as far as I breathed I wasn’t going to leave Elincia’s side.

Elincia got ahead of me. “Smart. That way we could hide the kids in the City of Lights if things go wrong during the entrance exam.”

I laughed.

“For a moment I thought you were going to accuse me of leaving the orphanage.” I said, relieved. If I were smarter, I would’ve learned to communicate like a mature adult already. Maybe I was too conditioned for years of toxic relationships.

“You? Leaving? Impossible, I have been spiking your breakfast with a Love Potion for months now.” Elincia said, dead serious.

“What? Really?” I asked, taken by surprise.

“Of course not! Love Potions aren't a thing, you ignorant booklover!” Elincia yelled. I must’ve sounded extremely ignorant for her to be this annoyed. “Are Alchemists from the City of Lights really that primitive? Or are they just secretive?”

I was going to reply when suddenly, the door opened, and a dog strolled into the ballroom like it owned the place.

“Love Potions aren’t a thing!” Loki parroted with Elincia’s voice as it approached us. Then, Loki stopped by our side and adopted Shu’s voice. “Loki, tell Mister Clarke that someone is asking for him at the door.”

Elincia and I exchanged a quick glance and we both sprang to our feet. A shiver ran down my spine. When had I become so fearful? The answer was clear. I had discovered happiness in the orphanage, and I dreaded the thought of losing it.

I prayed the person at the door wasn’t a Marquis thug.

“It must be Ginz.” I said, mostly to ease my own heartbeat.

“Or Miss Nasiah.” Elincia replied with a nonchalant tone despite the fact she had already reached for her knife boot.

I burst into the reception room. Shu was standing at the doorway, chatting with whomever had come to visit. I couldn’t tell who was on the other side. Fear gripped my throat as the memory from the guardsmen attempting to kidnap the kids during the last Tax Season resurfaced.

“Can you go to the kitchen with the rest of the kids, Shu?” I said with a smile to avoid alerting her. Inside my mind a silent plea echoed. Please move away from the door. Please move away from the door. Please move away from the door. After a moment that felt like an eternity, Shu stepped back and I put my body between her and the doorway.

“Good morning.” I greeted with a stiff voice.

“Good morning. Is this Master Clarke?”

In the rain-soaked steps, stood a thin blonde girl no older than Firana.

Elincia bumped into my back, unable to stop her momentum. At least her knife wasn’t pointing at my kidneys. However, I had to hold onto the door frame to not fall over the strange girl.

“I’m Robert Clarke. Who is this?” I said.

More than a human girl, she looked like a particularly scrawny scarecrow.

“I have a message from Lady Nasiah. She says the sale of the fifth batch has been completed. She is waiting for the sixth one before the Monster Surge craze is over. She also says a certain brat called Elincia is not welcome at her store.” The blonde girl said, counting the sentences with the fingers of her hand.

Suddenly, a great fatigue got a hold of my body. I needed to visit Ginz to see if he had any luck with his crafting project. With my skills corrupted, the only way I had to protect the manor was with the shotgun. I looked over the girl’s head to ensure there was no one spying on the orphanage.

Despite the fact the message was delivered, the girl remained still with a polite smile on her face. I searched among my pockets for a coin.

“Isn't it too rainy to be working as a messenger?” I asked.

“I’ll be fifteen soon, so, if I manage to become a Courier, I won’t be sent to fight in the frontlines. I figured the System will give me the class if I start working early on it. Smart, uh?” The girl replied.

The things people did to avoid conscription. It was a bit sad and yet inspiring.

“Come inside, we were about to have lunch.” I opened the door, but the girl seemed reluctant to enter. “Eli, please go prepare a change of clothing. She’s drenched.”

As Elincia went into the manor, I pulled out a silver coin. Maybe it was too much for a simple courier, but with Nasiah’s payment ready, we were technically rich. If anything, it was a necessary expenditure to gain the trust of the community. Seeing the shiny silver coin, the girl’s face lit up.

“Keep it a secret.” I whispered.

The girl nodded and, before I could blink, the coin disappeared among her clothes. Smart girl. Flaunting money was a recipe for disaster. I didn’t want to imagine what kind of background she had for her to act like that.

“Come in, there’s always room for one more in the kitchen. We have a wooden stove and steamy soup.” I invited her and this time, she obeyed, leaving a trail of water in her path.

I scanned the street once more before closing the door. The rain was so heavy that seeing beyond the front yard became a challenge. If anything, rain seemed to dissuade any potential crooks. Despite the orphanage entering a second golden era, I couldn’t help but feel paranoid.

I closed the door and finally breathed calmly.

“Do you have a name, or I shall call you Courier?” I asked as I guided the girl towards the kitchen. Perhaps it was Farcrest’s phenotype, but the girl displayed a certain similarity to Firana. Not in the hair though, Firana’s was chestnut while the girl was blonde with a few darker strands here and there.

“Corin.” She said with a shy tone.

I began to suspect her messenger persona was mostly an act. We walked in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The fact that the girl would be considered an adult not a year from now really put me off. She was barely a teenager.

Down the corridor, a door opened and Elincia appeared carrying fresh clothes.

“They are probably too big, but they have no holes. You can use that room to change.” Elincia said, pointing at one of the vacant rooms in the sleeping quarters.

Corin nodded and quickly slipped through the barely open door.

“You give her a lot of money, don’t you?” Elincia grabbed my hand and interlocked fingers. None of us had gotten rid of the seeking ring despite the fact we spent most of the time together.

“I only gave her a couple copper coins.” I replied, scanning the corridor and kissing her.

“Liar.” She smiled. “It’s strange. One of the things I like most about you is that you are a huge softie. For the record, I used to hate softies.”

Elincia’s friendly banter always managed to improve my mood, however, that day I felt gloomier than usual.

“I’ll skip lunch today. I will collect the potion payment and then I’ll visit Ginz to check his progress with the shotgun shells.” I said.

“Well, as the old hag doesn’t want me near her store, you’ll have to go alone. It’s a shame, really, considering how enjoyable her companionship is.” Elincia gave me a teasing smile.

I bit my tongue. The reason why Nasiah wanted to avoid Elincia might be related to our conversation about Risha. I had to tell Elincia eventually that I knew the reason why Nasiah hated her. In fact, I had several secrets to reveal.